Wednesday, July 22, 2015

If you sell clothing in a small town, it can be very beneficial to have the attentions of a well known person of influence known for their style. Cookie Chanel may have agreed before she actually received such attentions if that person hadn't passed on before they met. I suppose the endorsement of a ghost wouldn't be received in the same spirit as it would from a living person. That is the least of Cookie's problems because, now that she has Charlotte Meadows' attention, she can't seem to get rid of her. That is unless, possibly, maybe there could be a chance that if Cookie solves Charlotte's murder, Charlotte will move on.

Cookie Chanel is such a bright, energetic and independent character, it's easy to not just like her but to nearly fall in love with her. She reminds me a lot of GirlBoss ,Sophia Amoruso. We get to see more facets of her personality than just the chipper young woman who owns her own vintage clothing store but, that is the enduring impression. A person that most people respect and like. She has her now constant companion, Charlotte Meadows who, while she was alive, was a person most people respected and tolerated.

The small town setting fits with the vintage clothes store and gives the story the feel of a pulp fiction detective novel. The reader is ever at risk of drifting into feelings of nostalgia either from the descriptions of clothing or Cookie's own car. Rose Pressey did a wonderful job of weaving the fashion and feeling into her fiction.This is a murder mystery and characters get hurt and some die. With that said, it's still a very light and fun read. We experience this quaint town with it's eccentric cast of characters through the eyes of Cookie as she tries to navigate the politics and societal pressures all while trying to help Charlotte and keep her business going. I probably could point out half a dozen tropes that have been used (some over-used) but, I won't. The story works, tropes and all, and it's entertaining.If You've Got It, Haunt It is a very fun read especially for anybody into vintage clothing or nostalgia for the early to mid 20th century. It's a very light PG13 due to some of the subject matter but, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to a teen.